title: Ultrasound evaluation of liver fibrosis: preliminary experience with acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) software.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) ultrasound software in estimating the degree of hepatic fibrosis compared to Fibroscan and liver biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C underwent standard ultrasound examination, ASQ, Fibroscan and liver biopsy. ASQ analysis was conducted by placing a single region of interest (ROI) on each image captured, and calculating mode, average and standard deviation. The sonographic technique was developed through a preliminary evaluation of 20 healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve for the diagnosis of cirrhosis (F≥4) with ASQ was 0.77, whereas for the diagnosis of any degree of fibrosis (F≥1) it was 0.71. The AUROC for the diagnosis of cirrhosis (F≥4) with Fibroscan was 0.98, while for the diagnosis of any degree of fibrosis (F≥1) it was 0.94. The difference between the AUROC was statistically significant (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASQ is a promising new ultrasound software programme which offers encouraging results in the diagnosis of both liver cirrhosis (F=4) and fibrosis (F≥1). However, to date it has not attained the same level of diagnostic performance as Fibroscan.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche ed Anatomopatologiche, Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy, paolo.ricci@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marigliano
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cantisani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porfiri
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcantonio
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lodise
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Labbadia
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maggini
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panzironi
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Segni
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furlan
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Masciangelo
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taliani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000821:virology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software